Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFMegalopygidae Members: Megalopyge Members: 72 NC Records

Megalopyge pyxidifera (Smith, 1797) - Yellow Flannel Moth

Megalopyge pyxidiferaMegalopyge pyxidiferaMegalopyge pyxidiferaMegalopyge pyxidifera
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Zygaenoidea		 Family:
Megalopygidae		P3 Number:
57a0036		 MONA Number:
4642.00		 MONA Synonym:
Lagoa pyxidifera
Comments: This is one of four members of this genus in North America, two of which occur in North Carolina. This species has a long history of being placed back and forth between the genus Megalopyge and Lagoa. Becker (1995) was the last to reinstate Megalopyge.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Covell (2005) Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Immature Stages: Wagner (2005)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: This species is similar in size and shape to Megalopyge crispata but the wings, body, legs, and antennae are entirely pale to amber yellow with no markings. The broad forewings possess wavy hairs across the basal half that imparts a distinctive wrinkled or "woolly" appearance, although the uniformity of the coloration makes this feature less obvious than on M. crispata and M. opercularis. The males have prominent pectinate antennae that are about two-thirds as long as the forewing.
Wingspan: 30-36 mm
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: This species appears to be a generalist that feeds on the leaves of broadleaf trees and shrubs. There are typically two or more generations per year depending on the latitude. In the early instars the body is sordid white with a brownish dorsal band divided by a pale line and a broad brown lateral band. The body is covered by thin, long, fluffy white hairs. In the older instars the body is covered with shorter, dense hairs that are soft, smooth and directed backwards. The posteriormost hairs are shaped into a wispy-like tail that extends a short distance beyond the body. The coat varies from whitish gray to yellowish gray or orange and the hairs are sufficiently dense to conceal the body (Dyer, 1897). The larvae are very similar to those of Lagoa crispata and are best identified by either rearing or geographic range (Wagner, 2005). The larvae have urticating spines that can sting and cause skin irritation (Mullen and Zaspel, 2019), so be careful when handling.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Megalopyge pyxidifera is mostly restricted to Coastal Plain habitats in the southeastern US. The range extends from southeastern North Carolina to southern Florida, and westward to southern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. Except for one record from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that needs to be confirmed, all North Carolina records come from the southern half of the Coastal Plain, including the Fall-line Sandhills.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Megalopyge pyxidiferaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New%20Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.